


Legend of the Four Transmigrated Souls

by Pandagirl2576



Category: The Founder of Diabolism, The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
Genre: F/M, M/M, Similar plot as first but different characters, Version 2.0, just for fun
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-07
Updated: 2018-10-21
Packaged: 2019-07-27 13:00:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16219553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pandagirl2576/pseuds/Pandagirl2576
Summary: (Alternative Version of The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation and the Spirit Maiden!)Four college students went to China during the summer to reconnect with their roots. However, none expected to die in an earthquake. Brought into another world where monsters and spirits roam and placed into four different bodies, these people must also contend with the bodies' original spirits. The students must find out why they were brought here and the roles they must play, all while trying to be someone else. Well, at least it'll be exciting, right?





	1. Four Deaths, Four Transmigration

**Author's Note:**

> If anyone is actually reading this story, you'll notice that it sounds quite similar to the first story I published which was The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation and the Spirit Maiden. Basically, this was an alternative version I wrote with four OCs and an OC/Jiang Cheng pairing in mind. I decided to release this version in order to commemorate the season finale of MDZS. I'm looking forward to the second season! Anyways, while the plot line might be similar, this story is going to turn out differently in terms of character interactions and certain events. Hopefully anyone who read this enjoys it!

**_“Liu...Jiang...death...rebirth...love...history…”_ **

_“Who is saying that?”_

**_“Wen...Nie...Jiang...Lan…Jin”_ **

_“I can’t understand you…”_

**_“You...must choose…”_ **

**_“Before all is lost.”_ **

Liu Yanting snapped her eyes opened as a loud sound woke her up, causing her to sit right up and look around. The woman’s body relaxed as she recognized the room—Yanting was in Tseng Hua Yue’s room in China. Stretching her arms out, Yanting looked at the clock in the room. The smallest hand had barely passed the number 11, indicated that it was before noon. With a yawn, Yanting pulled back the cover of her sleeping bag and stood up. Currently she and her three other friends were on summer vacation from college in United States. Being of Chinese descent, the group decided that vacationing in China might help them reconnect with their roots and thus decided the country as their destination. Hua Yue, having been born and raised in China before moving into the US for college, graciously offered her home as a place for them to sleep in. Hua Yue’s parents didn’t mind, instead excited to meet the new friends their daughter made. Currently, the parents were on a business trip somewhere in Vietnam and would not be back until the last day of the break. Yanting rolled her chocolate colored eyes as she heard the loud snores from the other room.

 _“Ha...Fai and Huan Kuo are so noisy!”_ Yanting thought as she got dressed. _“I bet that they’re still fast asleep! Have they forgotten about the train?”_ A couple of days ago, Jing Huan Kuo proposed that the four of them ride a train to Shanghai, which was only an hour away from Hua Yue’s house. Dong Fai was the only one who seemed reluctant to go, but eventually gave in when the others expressed their desire to go. After she finished dressing, Yanting moved to wake Hua Yue up.

“Oi, Hua Yue. If you don’t wake up now we won’t be able to eat before we go!” She called out, shaking her friend slightly. Hua Yue groaned out.

“L-Lan...Tseng...jade...tears…” the Tseng whimpered out. Yanting froze. Lan...where had she heard that name before? However, before Yanting could ponder on it more, Hua Yue woke up, rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes.

“Rise and shine.” The Liu said as she pulled off Hua Yue’s covers. “It’s almost noon! We’ll be late if we don’t start heading out.” Grumbling incoherent words, the Tseng stretched her body before she proceeded to stand up.

“Hm...Call the bathroom first…” she mumbled sleepily as the woman walked out the door. Yanting followed her, but the proceed to go to a different closed door and rapped on it.

“If you guys don’t wake up and get ready in five minutes, I’m not making you my special pancakes!” She threatened. Yanting smiled mischievously as muffled sounds of cursing and items dropping came from behind the door. Within seconds, the door opened to reveal two disheveled men.

“There’s still some pancakes left, right?” Fai asked quickly. The Liu rolled her eyes.

“I haven’t even made them yet! Go and finish getting ready.” She ordered. “By the time you’re both done, they’ll be ready to eat.” Huan Kuo drooped his shoulders.

“That’s too cruel, Yanting! I thought you ate them all!” He complained.

“I never said anything about eating them all. I just said you guys wouldn’t have any.” She corrected. “If you keep complaining, then you really won’t get any!” Pale faces answered her as the men quickly rushed to the other unoccupied bathroom to freshen up. Yanting rolled her eyes again as she heard them argue. The woman then proceeded to walk into the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Hua Yue’s parents were kind enough to provide the college students enough food to last for months so they wouldn’t starve. After finding all the ingredients, Yanting began to whip up fluffy caramel colored pancake batter. Adding a little oil to the pan she was heating up, the woman placed several dollops of batter the size of silver coins onto the cookware. On a few she placed additional toppings such as fresh fruit or sweets. Flipping them over once they bubbled up, Yanting brought another pan to temperature and placed slices of bacon in. The aroma of cooking food filled the house.

“Mmm...smells so good!” Hua Yue said as she walked into the kitchen, completely awake now. “I just love your cooking!” Yanting smiled as she placed the batch of food off to the side.

“Are you sure it’s because you can’t make anything other than instant ramen without burning the house down?” The Liu teased as she dolloped more pancake batter, this time cracking eggs into the bacon greased pan.

“Hey! You said you wouldn’t bring that up again!” The Tseng accused, causing Yanting to laugh. By the time she finished preparing everyone’s portions, the boys arrived.

“I call chocolate chips!” Huan Kuo declared, only for his reaching hand to be slapped away by Yanting.

“Oi! Have some manners!” She scolded. “Get the table ready while I use the restroom!” Once Yanting freshened up and Huan Kuo grudgingly got the plates and utensils, the friends began to feast. Within minutes the food was all gone.

“Man, I’m stuffed.” Fai groaned out as he leaned back on his chair.

“Well, I mean you did eat like ten stacks of pancakes.” Yue Hua pointed out as she fixed the buns on her head. “Though I supposed that’s less than what a glutton like you would usually eat.” Fai blew up his blonde dyed bangs and gave her a pointed look.

“Can we not try to argue today? The whole day yesterday was completely filled with you two arguing.” Yanting begged as she pulled her long charcoal colored hair into a high ponytail. Huan Kuo adjusted his glasses as he nodded.

“Yeah, no offense but no one wants to hear who’s right after 3 hours.” The Jiang reminded. Fai and Yue Hua glared at each other but said nothing.

“Anyways, I guess we should start heading towards the train station.” Fai said with a sigh as he got up. The rest of his friends followed the Dong’s lead and began the descent downstairs. Yanting winced slightly as the humidity greeted them, her body immediately becoming sticky.

“Ugh. This one thing I didn’t miss about China.” Hua Yue groaned out as the group continued walking down the streets. “It’s always so humid and hot until the summer!”

“Trust me. Taiwan’s worse.” Fai argued. “Have you been in Taipei when it reaches 100 degrees?!”

“And there they go again.” Huan Kuo said miserably as the two began to argue. “Why can’t we have just one peaceful day?!” Yanting silently agreed. Little did they know how much worse their day would go…

Yanting and her friends stopped at an intersection. As they waited for the lights to go, the Liu noticed a bunch of police cars nearby.

“Hm? Was there an accident?” Yanting asked. Hua Yue nodded.

“Uh Huh. A truck ran over a woman.” The Tseng explained. “Her name was Chang Hehua. Apparently she was going home after attending a friend’s funeral. What a sad incident.” The light eventually turned and the group of friends began walking again. By the time the sun was reaching its peak, they arrived at the station.

“Finally, some air conditioning!” Yanting exclaimed as the group entered the cool building. Huan Kuo parted back his semilong bangs as he looked at his watch.

“The train’s probably here now. We better hurry and buy the tickets.” The man said. However, no one could even take a step when the floor beneath them began to vibrate. Suddenly, the entire building began to shake violently.

“E-Earthquake!” Yanting yelled as the crowd of people began to panic, trying to run out of the building of find cover. Then, a large shadow appeared over them.

“Huh?” Fai said, the group looking up just as a large part of the ceiling came crashing down on them.

* * *

 

_Yanting...Wake Up..._

* * *

 

When Yanting opened her eyes, she knew something was off. Unfamiliar faces hung over her as the Liu’s vision began to clear up, some with tears streaming down their faces. With a shaky hand, she reached out and touched the still blurred face of the one closest to her, vaguely aware of the blood on her hands. The person held her hand on his face, their grey eyes filled with tears.

“ _Jie_! Please, don’t die!” They begged. Yanting blinked her eyes slowly as the realization sank in.

 _“I...don’t have a sibling…”_ the woman thought as she felt herself get lifted into the air. Her hand left the person’s face, but Yanting felt them cling onto her.

“You have to let _Shijie_ go! She needs to go to the physicians!” Another person intervened, trying to pry off the first. Yanting settled her eyes on the two people. Finally, her vision cleared up enough to see them--two males in their early adulthood or late teens. The woman felt her body stiffen as she heard two names whispered into her ear. As though possessed, Yanting attempted to call out the names.

 

“A-A...Cheng. A-Ying.” She gasped out. One of the boys, the person who had clung onto her before, tried to rush towards the woman, only to be held back by the other. Yanting felt tears roll down her face as she was carried away, not knowing why she cried as the darkness overtook her once more.

* * *

 

_Fai...Why are you sleeping...?_

* * *

 

 _“It’s so noisy…”_ Fai thought as loud yells echoed around him. The noises seemed to surround him as though he was in a cave. The Dong felt a sharp pain on his head and touched his temple only to feel something wet. With tired eyes, Fai looked at his hand. Dark colored liquid coated his hand and dripped down his arm. Shock went through his system, yet he felt more tired than before. Suddenly, a large hand grabbed his arm, jerking him upwards. Fai was greeted with hard eyes and a burly face.

 

“You...You better not die here!” The person commanded. “Are planning on bringing shame to our sect over such a measly injury?!” Fai felt his body flinch in fear against this person’s aggressive aura, but the Dong felt their hand shake slightly. Despite what they said, was this person worried for him? But, Fai didn’t know who he was…

 

A soft voice whispered the person’s name in his mind, like wind blowing on chimes. Yet it urged him to treat the man with respect and asked him to relay a few words. Fai strangely complied with the voice.

 

“ _Gege_...I truly am sorry for...my incompetence…” The Dong repeated, his eyes finally closing from exhaustion. Fai could hear the man yell at him to wake up, but by then he had already gave himself into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

 

_Hua Yue...Open your eyes..._

* * *

 

No matter how hard Hua Yue tried, she could breathe. She violently gasped for air and scratch at her throat, attempting to pry off whatever was preventing her from breathing properly. Her feet kicked the bare air, unable to find solid ground. Why was she hanging from the air? What was trying to strangle her? Hua Yue had just woken up only to find herself dying to breathe. As she continued her pointless struggle, the Tseng suddenly heard a door slam open nearby. Startled gasps and yells filled the room as Hua Yue felt people attempt to get her down. Then, through her hazy vision, she saw a silver glint rush above her, severing whatever held the woman in place. Hua Yue fell down into the arms of someone. She tried to see who had saved her. Golden eyes gazed coldly at her yet there was softness hidden behind the hard glare.

“Why?” The person quietly questioned. Hua Yue heard a mournful voice speak to her, urging the Tseng to repeat what it had just said.

“Why…? Because I was tired, _Gege_.” She replied, feeling a single teardrop roll down her cheek. “So I wanted to see Mama again.” Exhaustion sank in and despite the warnings not to pass out, Hua Yue slipped into the quiet void.

* * *

 

_Huan Kuo...Shouldn't you awaken...?_

* * *

 

The first thing Huan Kuo saw was the crescent moon and the stars.

 _“How pretty.”_ He thought as the man tried to reach out towards them. But, he couldn’t move, as though his body was made of lead. A metallic taste spread through his mouth, one that the Jing thought was familiar yet the throbbing in his head made him forget why. Suddenly, a face of a young man entered his vision, an anguished expression on his face.

“Please, please stay awake!” He mourned, bringing Huan Kuo up to lean against a tree. “Father and Mother will be here soon with physicians!” The Jing breathed heavily as he looked at the stranger, a tired smile stretching on his face as Huan Kuo’s body began to move on its own. He grasped the side of his abdomen, soaked in something red, and shakily brought his other hand onto the man’s shoulders. Words leaked into his mind, forming into coherent sentences that compelled him to speak them out.

“B-But...isn’t this great?” He coughed out with a small laugh. “Now...y-you won’t be...judged by the rest of our...sect members…for having a-a...twin.” Tears spilled over the stranger’s face as he clung to him, begging him not to die. Having relayed the message, Huan Kuo felt his eyes slowly close and let his hand drop as the sounds of neighing horses echoed in the air.

* * *

_Everyone...Can you stop the evil that is to come...?_

* * *

**_Ancient evils have begun to rise as the side of good attempts to repel them. To lock the darkness once again, the legend must be fulfilled._ **

**_The Lotus Goddess shall sing the World’s Rebirth. The Jade Diva must dance the Cycle of Salvation. The Artful Tactician must wield the Phoenix’s Wings. The Dragon Prince must find the Ancient Blade._ **

**_Love will blossom and bonds will be tested. The path of cultivation is now revealed. Will they be able to stop the Lord of Resentment from finding a host and resurrecting?_ **


	2. Chapter 1: Liu Yanting and the Daughter of Lotus Pier

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Liu Yanting tries to escape the new world she was brought into.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Interesting to see that people like and read this story. I might make this a biweekly update if I have time.
> 
> Just a quick reminder that while this story and the first one I published have the same premise and ideas, they are two completely story. Thus, the events in this one are obviously going to be played out differently.

* * *

_ “Yanting...Yanting, it’s time to wake up.” _ A soft voice called out. With a small groan, Yanting slowly opened her eyes to see an unfamiliar room.

“Where am I?” She murmured as the woman struggled to get up. Truthfully, Yanting’s head ached to the point that she couldn’t concentrate very well. Through her blurry vision, the Liu managed to focus on her hands and noticed something strange. A purple mark of some sort was tattooed on her left arm, resembling a lotus flower. Then, Yanting realized her clothes had changed.

_ “How...why?”  _ She thought as the Liu looked around the room again. What had she been doing before? Wasn’t Yanting supposed to be at the train station with her friends? Suddenly, horror filled her body as she recalled what happened. That’s right, she was crushed underneath the debris during the earthquake. Yanting began to shake as tears rolled her down face.

“Ugh...Hua Yue. Huan Kuo. Fai.” Yanting wept out, mourning the loss of her friends. However, she quickly wiped the tears away and and looked up with a determined expression. Right now, she couldn’t afford to be sad. Yanting had no idea where she was or how she was still alive. The Liu tried to get up from the body, hissing slightly as pain struck her body. Yanting hugged herself and felt bandages wrapped around her stomach. Gritting her teeth, Yanting managed to drag herself over to a table with a large mirror. The Liu barely held back a scream when she saw her appearance. No wonder she was still alive—Yanting took over another person’s body!

_ “Is this the rumored transmigration thing Huan Kuo always talks about in his books?” _ Yanting wondered as she examined her new appearance. Similarly to her previous self, this woman had long charcoal black hair which curled slightly at the edges. Golden orbs stared back at her as Yanting touched her face which was petite and pale. Even her body wasn’t lacking in anything, though Yanting personally felt that the chest size was a bit small…

_ “Yanting…”  _ The voice from before whispered. Yanting snapped her head towards the voice, but she saw no one there. The Liu gulped nervously.

“Ha...I hope wherever I transmigrated to, there are no ghost!” She laughed nervously, though it sounded more like a prayer than a comment. Yanting looked around the room for anything useful but really found nothing too helpful except for coins and paper that resemble something like currency. Yanting placed them inside her sleeves. There were also many clothes that resembled the clothing of ancient China—a hanfu if the Liu recalled. However, with no knowledge on how to put it on, Yanting settled on a large cloak to cover her thinly robbed body and put on a pair of shoes left by the bedside. Then, she turned her sights toward the outside. The woman opened the door slightly and peeked outside. Seeing no one in the hallway, Yanting quickly walked outside. Sunlight streamed in from the far end of the hallway, leading towards a courtyard with garden and a pond. On another side of the hallway was some sort of training ground for Yanting heard the sounds of sword clashing and loud yells. The third pathway led towards somewhere unknown. Pulling the hood more tightly over her head, the Liu proceeded to move down another section of the halls. Her decision brought Yanting towards another part of the courtyard. There she saw the entrance leading outside.

_ “There are two people guarding.”  _ Yanting noticed as she saw two men in purple uniforms standing guard.  _ “How can I get outside?”  _ Then, as though someone had heard her answer, the guards suddenly moved away after a piercing scream filled the air. Yanting, though wincing at the scream, took the opportunity to escape through the door. Once she was out, the Liu was met with a spectacular sight. To her left was a pier, with the large body of water contains lotus flowers that seemed to stretch for miles. To her right was a market of some sort with many stands that served different goods and services. The delicious aroma of food wafted her way, causing Yanting’s stomach to growl out in hungry. Though she would have liked nothing more than to sample some of the delicacies, it was too risky. She had to keep going.

_ “Maybe I can come back and get some once I figure out where I am.”  _ Yanting thought as she continued walking. Due to the bustling environment of the market, none noticed Yanting as she walked, though some called out to her to buy something. Yanting naturally ignored them and marched forward, though she kept an ear out for people’s conversation. Then, she heard something that caught her interest.

“Ah, poor Yanli!” A woman cried out to another by a fruit stand. “To think such a tragedy befell on her!” Yanting stopped walking. The other woman sighed.

“Such tragedy indeed.” She agreed. “And to think it was a simple mission too. Who would have thought that a member of our own sect would try to kill Yanli’s younger brother? Her entire entire family must be suffering right now…” A strange feeling welled up inside Yanting as she resumed walking. Yanli...why did the name feel so familiar?

_ “Yanting...please.” _ The voice from before called out again.  _ “Return back…” _ Yanting shivered and hugged herself. Maybe there really were ghosts here, but the Liu couldn’t afford to go back. She didn’t know where this was so the Liu couldn’t trust anyone. The only option was to venture out and listen to the people’s gossips in order to piece things together. However, Yanting didn’t even get far when a man in purple robes ran up to the fruit stand where the two women were.

“Excuse me, but have you seen anyone suspicious?” He questioned. “Jiang Yanli has disappeared from her room!” Yaning felt a unnerving feeling rush through her. He couldn’t have meant this body...right? Then, isn’t Jiang Yanli actually dead?! With renewed urgency, Yanting quickly walked away from the man. It wasn’t a good idea if they discovered her—what if they thought she was a ghost who possessed this Yanli’s body?! Though, on the other hand, that may not be entirely untrue…

_ “Gotta go. Gotta get somewhere where no one will recognize this body!”  _ Yanting urgently thought. Immediately, the strange voice that told her to return spoke again.

_ “Return, please…!”  _ It begged.  _ “My brothers...my parents…!”  _ Immediately, Yanting felt her body become heavy as lead. Her breathing became more frantic the further she walked. Was this the spirit’s doing? Yanting gingerly touched her abdomen and brought her hand up to see crimson blood. Perhaps it wasn’t the ghost after all…

_ “I must have accidentally reopened the wound with all the walking I did.”  _ Yanting thought with a grimace. As if things weren’t going bad enough, the Liu suddenly felt a hand latch onto her shoulder.

“E-Excuse me!” The voice gasped out, as though the person had been running everywhere. “My sister has gone missing! Have you seen—?” Suddenly, he stopped speaking. “ _ J-Jie _ ?!” Yanting, who had cautiously looked back to look at who grabbed her, cursed her predicament. Who would have thought that Yanli’s own brother came right up to her! The person, no older than a teen or so, had charcoal colored hair not unlike her own which was fashioned into a bun. Grey eyes stared at Yanting in disbelief and shock as though unable to comprehend what was happening.

_ “Gah! What am I going to do now?!”  _ Yanting wailed inside her head. Really, there was only one thing she could do—run! The Liu ripped herself from the boy’s grip and fled for her life.

“ _ Jie _ !  _ Jie _ , why are you running away from me?!” The boy yelled out as he chased her. “Don’t you recognize me? I’m your younger brother!”

_ “That’s exactly why I’m running!”  _ Yanting mentally answered as she pushed past the crowd of people.  _ “If you catch me, I might get exorcised or something worse!”  _ Though she continued to bleed from her wounds, the adrenaline inside Yanting kept her going. Suddenly, another man with a long ponytail and grey eyes, around the same age as Yanli’s brother, cut her off.

“ _ Shijie _ !” He called out, barring Yanting’s pathway. The Liu halted in her steps as she was blocked from both sides. As they crept in on her, Yanting frantically looked for a way out. Unconsciously, she gripped at her left arm which had the mark, unaware that the mark began to glow slightly. With little choice left, Yanting was forced towards the water as the two boys drew closer.

“ _ Jie _ , don’t you recognize me? It’s me, you’re younger brother, Jiang Cheng.” Yanli’s brother calmly reminded. “ _ Jie _ , please, let us take you back. You’re still hurt and have to be treated.” Yanli shook her head as she continued to back up. The desire to escape overshadowed all reasoning, driving the Liu to tears.

“N-No. No! I can’t!” She yelled out. “I can’t!”

_ “Yanting...why won’t you go back?”  _ The voice cried out.  _ “I promise that you won’t be harmed!”  _ Too hysterical to understand the voice, Yanting backed up once again but failed to realize just how close she was to the edge and fell into the water. Yanting frantically tried to stay afloat, but the loss of blood made her body feel heavy and she was quickly losing energy.

_ “I’m such a fool.”  _ Yanting lamented as she sunk deeper.  _ “If I had just listened to that voice…”  _ The mark on her arm grew even brighter as Yanting felt a hand touch her face.

**_“Then, Lotus Goddess, listen to the Daughter Of Lotus Pier and you shall begin your destiny.”_ **

Yanting didn’t have time to process those words when the wounds took their toll on her. The last thing as she closed her eyes were a pair of hands reaching towards her as the water around began to swirl.

* * *

 

...

* * *

 

When Yanting came to again, she found herself inside the room from before. Someone had changed her clothes and bandages from before. A slight groan escaped her lips as she tried to sit up, only to discover that her hands and feet were tied together.

_ “Great. Just great.”  _ Yanting sarcastically thought.  _ “Now I really can’t escape.”  _ As she struggled with the rope, a person’s hand gently touched her arm. Startled, the Liu snapped her head around and did a double take. In front of her was a woman with the exact same appearance as in the mirror!

“Y-Y-You...Are you you…?” The Liu stuttered out. Jiang Yanli gave a small smile but made a gesture of quietness.

“Shh...He is asleep.” She whispered. Confused, Yanting looked and saw what the Jiang meant. In the corner of the room was Jiang Cheng, asleep in a crouching position. The brother’s face was buried into his arms, but Yanting noticed the disheveled appearance he bore.

“...How long was I out?” She asked.

“A few days.” Yanli answered as she sat down on the bed. “But A-Cheng has been fretting this whole time. He is blaming himself for this matter.” Yanting sighed.

“You mean about you taking a blow for him or something?” The Liu questioned. “I heard from those people. Then, are you actually dead?”

“I cannot say.” The Jiang responded truthfully. “Perhaps I should be. But when I was pierced by the blade, I heard a voice telling me that my life would not end yet. That I had to help a woman named Liu Yanting fulfill her duties.”

“So you were the voice from earlier.” Yanting realized. “The one that kept telling me to go back. Why didn’t you just show yourself?” Yanli shook her head.

“I’ve tried to make my presence known to others, but no one can see me. I thought it was the same for you.” The woman answered. “But now I see that is not the case. Perhaps it was due to that mark on your arm? It was glowing before.” Frowning, Yanting looked down and traced the tattoo.

“And I thought this was here originally. Does that mean it’s connected to why I was brought here?” She murmured. Then, a sad expression appeared on her face. “Ah, darn it. Every time I try to understand why I’m here, I remember the others. My friends...are they in a happier place?” Yanli gently placed a hand on Yanting’s shoulder.

“You must have gone through a terrible ordeal before you were brought here.” She whispered. “I do not know what is happening, but I can promise that I will whatever is necessary to help you. Because now we are linked, tied together by this strange twist of destiny.” Yanting nodded when a soft moan interrupted their conversation. Both women looked and saw Jiang Cheng beginning to stir from his sleep. Yanli gave Yanting a pleading look.

“I have only one request. Please continue acting like me.” She begged. “I must go, but I will inform you of whatever you need to know.” With that, the Jiang disappeared. By then, her brother had woken up. Yanting could see the dark circles under his eyes as the teen wearily lifted his eyes.

“ _ J-Jie _ …” Jiang Cheng whispered out. Suddenly, the teen rushed over to the Liu. “ _ Jie _ !  _ Jie _ , you’re awake!” He sobbed out as he fell forward into a bowing position. “It’s all my fault! It’s all my fault that you nearly died!” Yanting made a small sound as the Jiang broke down, uncomfortable seeing him cry.

“...A-Cheng.” She hesitantly called out. “Why are you blaming yourself?” Jiang Cheng raised his head up and looked at her with tears eyes.

“B-Because it is all my fault. That person wanted to kill me, but you took the blow instead.” He explained. “And you nearly drowned after going through a phase of madness, all because of your wounds! How is it not my fault?” Yanting gave a small sigh as she managed to sit up in a somewhat proper position. With some difficulty, she managed to pat Cheng’s head gently.

“What use is there to blame yourself?” The woman chided softly. “I wanted to save you so I shielded you. Besides, were you not the one who saved me when I was drowning?” Jiang Cheng turned bashful under her words, but still maintained a sorrowful look.

“But...none of this would have happened if I was careful.” He argued. “That man who attacked me came from our own sect—his jealousy was what drove him to attack me.”

“But in the end he was subdued, no?” Yanting gently reminded, at least that was what she thought. Judging from his expression, the Liu was correct.

“Even so…” Jiang Cheng began though Yanting quickly cut him off.

“No buts.” She said gently but firmly. “You cannot blame yourself for something you had no hand in. Look at you—it looks as though you haven’t gotten a wink of sleep since I was unconscious! Don’t you know how much that hurts me?” While Yanting said it in part of Yanli’s feelings, the Liu also couldn’t bear to see someone destroy themselves like that. Jiang Cheng said nothing at first. Then, he stood up and climbed onto the bed to untie Yanting.

“...I understand.” The teen finally answered, taking the rope of the Liu. “But my guilt just won’t simply go away. Everytime I close my eyes, I see you bleeding on the ground, a vacant look on your face. I... _ Jie _ , I’m afraid to sleep.”

_ “Doesn’t that mean the reason he was asleep was because his body couldn’t handle the lack of sleep anymore?”  _ Yanting thought, feeling pity for him. With a small smile, the Liu reached over and brought Cheng’s head into her lap.

“ _ J-Jie _ ! What are you doing?!” The Jiang quickly exclaimed but Yanting hushed him.

“You need to sleep.” She whispered. “As long as the real person is here, you won’t get nightmares anymore. I’ll be there to comfort you.” Jiang Cheng began to protest again, but when Yanting began to sing a lullaby she heard as a child, the teen slowly closed his eyes. After a few moments, his breathing indicated that he was asleep, but Yanitng kept singing. Even though they just met, she wanted to ease his sorrows, for both Yanli’s sake and her own. As the Liu continued her lullaby, she didn’t notice when Yanli reappeared behind, smiling.

_ “Thank you...Yanting.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone thinks Jiang Cheng feels OOC, you aren't the only one. But how would you react if your sister nearly died to protect you and seemingly lost her mind due to said injuries? Probably not a good feeling. Also, these updates will be separated into arcs with several chapters in it. Arc 1 will simply be a introduction to each character. The next arc will be combining their viewpoints so the consistency and flow of the story is clear.

**Author's Note:**

> That's all for this time! Apologies for any OOCness in the making but hopefully it's not to bad. There won't be any consistent updates since this was just a side project but I'll try updating every now and then. Hopefully you all enjoyed the story!


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